Website audits don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. In fact, you can perform a solid audit in just 30 minutes, uncovering important issues and opportunities to improve your site’s performance. Whether you’re a business owner or a marketer, this simple approach will give you a clear picture of your website’s health, without all the stress. Let’s get started!
1. Check your website’s load speed (5 minutes)
First up, let’s talk about your site’s speed. If your pages take forever to load, your visitors are going to bail—and so will your SEO rankings.
Why it matters: Slow websites can cause high bounce rates and low conversion rates. Plus, Google really cares about speed when ranking sites.
How to check it: Head over to Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix. These tools give you a detailed analysis of your website’s speed and suggest ways to improve it.
Actionable tip: Compress your images, minimize your JavaScript, and consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to speed things up. Even small changes here can make a big difference in load time.
2. Review your website’s mobile-friendliness (5 minutes)
Nowadays, more people browse websites on their phones than on desktops. So, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of traffic.
Why it matters: Google’s mobile-first indexing means your mobile site is the one that really counts for rankings. Plus, if your site isn’t easy to navigate on a phone, visitors will leave faster than you can say “bounce rate.”
How to check it: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see if your site works well on mobile devices. Or, just grab your phone and check out your site. Is everything easy to read and navigate?
Actionable tip: If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, consider switching to a responsive design or tweaking the layout to improve user experience on smaller screens.
3. Check your on-page SEO (10 minutes)
Why it matters: SEO helps search engines understand what your site is about and rank it higher. Even small improvements can lead to better visibility in search results.
How to check it: Look at a few pages on your site. Are the titles, meta descriptions, and headers optimized with relevant keywords? Make sure your content is structured with proper H1, H2, and H3 tags.
Quick fix: Add keyword-rich titles and descriptions to your most important pages, and make sure they reflect what the page is about. If you’ve got a blog, update older posts with fresh keywords and internal links to boost rankings.
4. Examine your site’s navigation (5 minutes)
Why it matters: If users can’t easily find their way around your website, they’ll bounce quickly. A good navigation structure helps users find what they need and keeps them engaged longer.
How to check it: Pretend you’re a new visitor. Or ask someone you know to have a fresh look. Can they easily find your top products or services? Is your menu simple, or do you have too many options?
Quick fix: Simplify your menu if you have too many items. Add a search bar to help users find what they need more easily. Consider adding “breadcrumb” navigation to show visitors their location within your site.
5. Identify broken links
Why it matters: Broken links lead to 404 errors, which frustrate visitors and harm your site’s SEO. Fixing them keeps your site running smoothly and helps users find what they need without hitting a dead end.
How to check it: Use a tool like Broken Link Checker to scan your website for any dead links. Pretend you’re a user and click through some of your pages—any broken links that lead to nowhere?
Quick fix: Fix or remove any broken links you find. Update old URLs and ensure all external links are still valid. Keeping your links in check will ensure a better user experience and help with SEO.
That’s it!
Great! You’ve just completed a quick and effective website audit in under 30 minutes. By checking your load speed, mobile-friendliness, SEO basics, navigation, and broken links, you’ve ensured your website is running smoothly and efficiently.
Now, take the time to implement the changes you’ve identified, and keep this process in mind as part of your regular website maintenance. Regular audits, even quick ones, can make a big impact on your site’s performance and help you stay ahead of the competition.
Ready to level up your website? Use Progress Planner to track your improvements and make sure nothing falls through the cracks!